They thought he’d reached the ceiling. That there were no more heights left for Mondo Duplantis to conquer. But in Stockholm, under the weight of expectation and the cheers of a home crowd, the pole vault phenomenon didn’t just rise. He soared.

At 6.28 meters, Duplantis flew into history once more, breaking his own world record for an astonishing 12th time. The third attempt looked impossible. But with his speed, timing, and sheer audacity, the bar stayed up. The crowd roared. Duplantis had done it again. Eclipsing his own previous best of 6.27 meters, which he had set just months ago in Clermont-Ferrand.

Already a two-time Olympic and world champion, this gymnast is only 25. And yet, every time it seems he’s peaked, Duplantis finds another level. Stockholm wasn’t just a meet. It became the latest chapter in a saga that defies physics and redefines human limits. With every vault, he’s not just chasing records. He’s rewriting what we believe is possible.

This time, Duplantis has improved on his most recent world record of 6.27 meters set on February 28 at an indoor meet in France. Remarkably, he’s raised the bar by exactly one centimeter with each of his 12 records, beginning with his first on February 8, 2020. This was the first time he broke the record on Swedish soil, after previous marks in Poland (twice), Scotland, Serbia (twice in Belgrade), the U.S. (twice in Eugene), France (three times), and China.

The two-time Olympic champion has taken a page from the playbook of Sergey Bubka, the legendary Ukrainian who famously maximized bonus payouts by raising the record in single-centimeter increments through the ‘80s and ‘90s. Bubka still holds the record for most world record vaults, with 35 across indoor and outdoor before the distinction was merged by World Athletics.

Before Duplantis, the world record stood at 6.16 meters, held by France’s Renaud Lavillenie since 2014. Since 2020, Duplantis has been nearly unbeatable, racking up more than 70 victories and suffering just four losses in that span, according to Tilastopaja.org. And well, this was not a surprise from Duplantis. After all, just days ago, the Olympic gold medalist broke the meet record in Oslo. 

Mondo Duplantis never misses a chance to create history

No one beats Oslo quite like Mondo Duplantis. On a chilly Thursday evening, the Swedish pole vault king launched himself into the clouds once more. This time, clearing 6.15 meters to set a new meet record at the Oslo Diamond League. It was a moment of complete command. With the crowd roaring and the field thinning, Duplantis soared past his own previous mark of 6.02m, rewriting the record books in a stadium already familiar with his greatness.

What made it even more electric was the fashion in which he did it. Duplantis passed the early heights with ease, waiting until 5.62m to even step in. By the time he faced his real challenge, only three men were left standing. One by one, they dropped. Karalis, the last remaining challenger, faltered at 5.92m, while Duplantis cleared it with style. When the bar was raised to 6.03m, he missed twice. A rare sight,  before sailing over on his third attempt. And then, the final touch: 6.15 meters, clean on the second try.

However, Duplantis did not break his world record here. Rather, he did not chase it. But his job was already done. A new meet record. A familiar dominance. And the unmistakable sense that no matter the setting, Mondo Duplantis always finds a way to go higher.